Homeowner Claims Neighbor is Trying to Kill Property-Line Tree with Weed Killer

A homeowner says a long-running dispute over a backyard tree has now escalated well beyond arguments about falling leaves or dangling branches. According to the homeowner, a neighbor has previously cut away much of the tree at the property line. Then, reportedly, the neighbor took to repeatedly spraying the tree in question with weed killer.

In a Sept. 13 post to Reddit’s r/treelaw, homeowner u/WichitaSteve said the neighbor they are feuding with cut the tree back at the property line in 2024 and has sprayed it with weed killer on multiple occasions. The poster later said they have cellphone video of the spraying, in particular.

The situation is complicated by one bewildering detail that turns a tidy trim into quite the prickly thicket: though the tree does sit within the homeowner’s fence, they say the land underneath it may actually belong, at least in part, to yet another neighbor.

“I don’t own the property the tree is on but the tree is within my fenced in yard,” the individual explained on Reddit. “The yard has a 10 foot easement and the fence with our good neighbor is built in their yard at the edge of the easement. So 10 foot of my yard is their property.” According to u/WichitaSteve, it sits right on the property line between the more tree-friendly neighbor and the neighbor who favors herbicides.

Now, u/WichitaSteve says leaves on the lower part of the tree are turning yellow, particularly on branches the neighbor could reach. The homeowner and the other neighbor—whom the poster has dubbed “good neighbor”—both want it to remain.

The Yellow Leaves Are A Clue, Not Proof

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Neighbors trying to kill the tree in our yard.
by u/WichitaSteve in treelaw

Yellow leaves can occur after herbicide exposure, but the discoloration alone cannot establish what damaged the tree without further investigation.

University of Minnesota Extension notes that glyphosate exposure can cause yellowing and death of tree leaves. However, nutrient deficiencies, insects, disease, and other problems can produce comparable symptoms.

Montana State University Extension recommends observing the symptoms and going a step further to make note of where they appear, the condition of nearby plants, and whether another cause could reasonably explain any damage. The date of a suspected herbicide application, weather conditions, and the specific herbicide involved can also help with a diagnosis. Laboratory testing of plant tissue or soil can sometimes be used to detect herbicide residues or rule out their presence.

For a homeowner facing a similar situation u/WichitaSteve finds themself in, that makes a detailed record valuable; dated photographs showing how the symptoms progress, wider images showing where the damage appears on the tree, records of suspected applications, and any existing video can preserve information that may help an arborist or investigator determine what happened.

Pesticide Misuse Complaints Have An Official Route

There is also a resource homeowners can formally turn to if they believe a pesticide is being deliberately or improperly applied to their beloved greenery.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says people concerned about potentially illegal pesticide use should contact their state pesticide regulatory agency. States generally have primary responsibility for investigating possible pesticide misuse.

The National Pesticide Information Center maintains a state-by-state directory and specifically lists pesticide misapplication complaints among the reasons to contact those agencies.

The dilemma outlined in the Reddit post comes with several influencing factors. Property and tree laws vary by location, and the poster’s unusual fence and boundary arrangement history adds another layer muddying the situation. On Reddit, opinions are split regarding ownership, with some users saying that whoever owns even a section of the tree could sue the allegedly herbicide-happy neighbor for the tree’s full value. Others, however, feel u/WichitaSteve has no say in the matter and can only watch from afar. Others, however, simply reaffirm that documentation is essential.